The Lakes – #travelthursdays

There is no question about my favourite places to be whilst the leaves are turning. This time, 5 years ago we hired a car and went on a mini-honeymoon with all of my Kiwi family straight after our wedding. It was the loveliest break I think I’ve had. There was a lot of love, quite a bit of huffing (up the enormous hills), breathtaking scenery and so much laughter.

Let’s be honest here, we’re all friends – the UK often seems to take quite a beating in the travel glamour stakes. When compared to the glamour of easily reachable Monte Carlo, Milan and glittering New York it’s pretty hard not to when you contrast it to mining towns, slop dosh and dollop of small caffs and the A40.

Sometimes it also seems that the drizzle in England is never ending. But, and I know this will surprise you, there is a great side effect to all the rain we get (which admittedly is less than I thought there’d be – I don’t even own an umbrella).

Got a weekend free before the silly season launches in full? Hire a car for the long weekend and drive up to the Lakes with a group of good friends. You won’t be disappointed. The lakes are particularly gorgeous in now. It also helps with the ‘donkey on the edge’ syndrome you can develop living in a city for a long time. With forested hillsides, jewelled toned lakes and leaves softly falling around your ears it’s hard not to relax.

Did I forget to mention the cool nights sitting in front of a pub fire surrounded by dogs, plates of Roast Beef and Sticky Toffee Pudding swimming in Vanilla Ice Cream or Custard depending on your poison? Oh, my bad.

To this Kiwi it reminds me so much of New Zealand scenery (POMs please don’t moan and groan at me comparing one of your most beautiful spots to NZ, but it’s true). New Zealand is a mountainous bush covered country and you are edged in almost all around by hills, much unlike the North East of England as flat as far as the eye can see.

You can stop off in small meadow surrounded lanes, with thatched cottages, explore ruinous castles and giggle at inappropriate place names.

Did mention all of the sheeps?

(You can actually hear the twang of scary hick banjos with this shot, can’t you?)

Kia ora, welcome, welcome!

This my travel blog featuring as many Adventures as a London (based) Kiwi that I can fit in with a side of uniqueness. I’ve always wanted to live life to the full, explore as many corners of the globe as possible, nibble as many different delectations, experience history and seek out the special things in life. Consider yourself warned about me...